UN food agency seeks urgent funding for child malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan

The UN World Food Program (WFP) on Tuesday warned that funding shortfalls are forcing it to scale back life-saving food and nutrition programs in Afghanistan as child malnutrition reaches critical levels.

The agency said in a statement that one-third of Afghanistan's children are experiencing critical levels of acute malnutrition, with conditions expected to worsen through October.

Twelve provinces have reached the critical threshold, indicating an urgent need for life-saving treatment.

"Without urgent support, WFP and its partners will be unable to prevent more children from becoming dangerously malnourished, putting lives at risk in the coming months," it warned.

WFP Afghanistan Director John Aylieff said in the statement that cries of malnourished babies haunt the health facilities in Afghanistan.

"We are witnessing the next generation waste away in spite of this being harvest time – a time of plenty. This is not simply heartbreaking—it is unacceptable," he added.

WFP said nearly 3.7 million children are projected to suffer acute malnutrition in Afghanistan, while another 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are also expected to be malnourished.

The agency said conflict, unemployment, high food prices and declining humanitarian funding have driven the crisis. It added that supply disruptions linked to conflict in the Middle East and the nine-month closure of Pakistan's border left nearly one million malnourished mothers and children without essential nutrition services for five months.

In 2025, it added,142 health centers across the country closed, and more than 13,000 children were cut from nutrition treatment due to reductions in humanitarian assistance.

WFP said it urgently needs $540 million over the next six months to maintain nutrition treatment and prevention services.